A U.S. citizen, Dena Karari, was released from Iran after being detained since December 2024 on espionage charges. President Donald Trump announced her release on Truth Social, describing it as a gesture of goodwill by Iran, though he did not name her in the post.
Her lawyer, Jared Genser, confirmed that Karari had been subject to a coercive exit ban but was never physically detained. He stated she had been interrogated dozens of times by the Iranian Intelligence Ministry due to her work with the Children of Mehr Foundation, a nonprofit that received an OFAC license to support impoverished children in Iran.
A senior U.S. official confirmed on Thursday that Karari was now safely outside Iran and expected to return to the United States in the coming days. Genser also urged Iran to drop charges against Iranians who had worked locally for the foundation. Five other Americans remain detained in Iran, including Reza Valizadeh and Kamran Hekmati, who have been designated as wrongfully detained by the State Department.